English requirements
NIC courses are taught in English. As part of gaining admission to your program, you must also meet our English requirements. If you don't meet English requirements for your program, check out our language pathway options.
Please note:
- Official English language proficiency assessment results below must be from the last two years
- General IELTS does not meet English language requirements at NIC
- Equivalency of other curriculum or assessments are determined by NIC international admissions
English requirements for limited entry programs
Limited entry programs have a set number of students they can accept for each intake. In order to be considered for admission, students must have one of the following English prerequisites or achieve a minimum score in one of the following academic assessments.
English courses
| Course type | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| BC curriculum | BC English 12 or BC English First Peoples 12 with a minimum grade of C (or C+ for some programs) |
| USA curriculum | C+ in Grade 12 English Studies/Literature/Composition/Creative Writing from an accredited secondary school |
| GCSE/IGCSE English courses | C in GCSE/IGCSE Ordinary Level English. English as a second language courses or additional language courses are not accepted. |
| Caribbean Examinations Council English courses | A minimum final grade of C or 3 in CSEC English |
| West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) | A minimum C4 in WASSCE English |
| Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) | C+ in KCSE English |
Assessment options
| Assessment type | Minimum score |
|---|---|
| Academic IELTS | Overall score of 6.0, with no band lower than 6.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | Overall score of 80, with no subsection less than 20 |
| CAEL | Overall score of 60, with a 60 in writing |
| PTE Academic | Overall score of 54, with no component less than 50. (Note: PTE Online is currently not accepted. PTE Academic is not accepted for admission to NIC’s Health Care Assistant Certificate.) |
| Cambridge Assessment of English: C1 Advanced | Overall score of 174, with no sub-score less than 169. |
| Duolingo English Test | Overall score of 110, with no section less than 105. Results from retests taken less than three weeks from the previous test(s) are not accepted. |
Quick reference
The above English admission requirements apply to the list of programs below. All other NIC programs are considered open entry programs.
- Adventure Guiding Certificate
- Coastal Forest Technology Diploma
- Early Childhood Care and Education Certificate/Diploma
- Furniture Design and Joinery Certificate
- Instrumentation and Electrical Automation Diploma
- Human Services Certificate/Diploma
- Social Services Diploma
English requirements for open entry programs
In order to be considered for admission to NIC’s open entry programs, students must have one of the following English prerequisites or achieve a minimum score in one of the following academic assessments.
English courses
| Course type | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| BC curriculum | BC English 12 or BC English First Peoples 12 with a minimum grade of C (or C+ for some programs) |
| USA curriculum | C+ in Grade 12 English Studies/Literature/Composition/Creative Writing from an accredited secondary school |
| GCSE/IGCSE English courses | C in GCSE/IGCSE Ordinary Level English. English as a second language courses or additional language courses are not accepted. |
| Caribbean Examinations Council English courses | A minimum final grade of C or 3 in CSEC English |
| West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) | A minimum C4 in WASSCE English |
| Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) | C+ in KCSE English |
Assessment options
| Assessment type | Minimum score |
|---|---|
| Academic IELTS | Overall score of 6.0, with no band lower than 5.5 |
| TOEFL iBT | Overall score of 80, with no subsection less than 19 |
| CAEL | Overall score of 60, with a 60 in writing |
| PTE Academic | Overall score of 54, with no component less than 46. |
| Cambridge Assessment of English: C1 Advanced | Overall score of 174, with no sub-score less than 165 |
| Duolingo English Test | Overall score of 105, with no section less than 95. Results from retests taken less than three weeks from the previous test(s) are not accepted. |
Other ways to meet your English equivalency
If you meet the following conditions, your English language requirements have been met for both open entry and limited entry programs at NIC:
- You are a graduate of a recognized university degree program (three to four years in length)
- Your university degree was granted by an accredited post-secondary institution where English was the language of instruction
- American Samoa
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Botswana
- British Virgin Islands
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Dominica
- England
- Falkland Islands
- Fiji
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Grenada
- Guam
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Montserrat
- Namibia
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Philippines
- Scotland
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- South Africa
- St. Helena
- St. Kitts (Christopher) & Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent & the Grenadines
- Tanzania
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turks & Caicos Islands
- Uganda
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- United States Virgin Islands
- Wales
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe